IUP community to thank more than 9,000 donors at Philanthropy Day

Free T-shirts printed with this logo will be given out to participants in IUP’s second Philanthropy Day Thursday. (Caitlin Birch/ The Penn)

Private donations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania supporters not only subsidize new buildings for IUP’s campus, but they also provide scholarships and educational opportunities to better a student’s experience.

To celebrate these donations, IUP will hold its second annual Philanthropy Day from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday in the Stapleton Library Commons Area where the IUP community is encouraged to thank IUP’s 9,818 donors.

A photo booth and free refreshments will be available for everyone attending the Office of Annual Giving’s sponsored event.

“Students are asked to write a thank you note to an IUP donor that will be mailed out after the event,” said Mary Jo Ludwig, Office of Annual Giving assistant director. “Students will turn in their postcards for a free IUP Philanthropy Day T-shirt.”

The Student Philanthropy Council and IUP Student Ambassadors have assisted with some of the programming for this event. Students will have the opportunity to play Twitter Bingo for prizes and to learn more about philanthropy at IUP.

Anyone can join the conversation on Twitter by using #IheartIUP.

Last year, more than $6 million was donated to IUP through private support, Ludwig said, and more than 1,000 scholarships were awarded by IUP as a result of private donations.

“The donors here at IUP support so much more than just scholarships,” said Student Philanthropy Council President Ashley M. Hartung (junior, journalism). “While the scholarships are important to the school, so are things like keeping the library up to date as well as keeping the Writing Center and IT Center open and free for students. Donors help support all of this and so much more on campus.”

Alumni also support big projects on campus such as the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, Hartung said.

The donated money goes toward multiple areas such as scholarships, research opportunities, study abroad programs, conferences, technology upgrades, program enhancements and more, according to Ludwig.

“As state funding continues to decline, IUP relies on the support of private donations to bridge that gap,” Ludwig said.

IUP has benefited from the Foundation for IUP, an independent, nonprofit corporation organized to promote and support the university’s educational purposes.

“The investments made to the Foundation for IUP by our donors help to make our university the outstanding place that it is,” said Emily Smeltz, director of Annual Giving. “This campuswide celebration is a great way to raise philanthropy awareness and to kick off our university family, faculty and staff giving drive.”